LESSWRONG
LW

All of Eadgyth's Comments + Replies

Solution to the free will homework problem
Eadgyth00

I understand that this is about the algorithm but free will is about choosing between good and evil, about "why".
Why could I have something else for breakfast today? Because they were the last strawberries, and my wife really loves strawberries so I could have left them for her. Without a theme, the choice is not really important from the free will perspective, however might be predictable due to recorded habits.

Reply
What makes a good life? This is my map.
Eadgyth20

" As you can see, every item contains "feel". Autonomy is about whether you feel like you can do what you want to do. "


So autonomy is not something we need, but something that we always have, we just need to gain the awareness that we have it, and the awareness of what we can, and the awareness of consequences of our choices.
“Everything is permissible for me,” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me,” but I will not be mastered by anything. "
or
"the starry heavens above me and the moral law within me."

Reply
1MartinB
In principle, yes. In practice, many external circumstances modify perceived and factual autonomy :-)
What makes a good life? This is my map.
Eadgyth20

This autonomy looks a bit like utopia to me, or the definition needs to be more precise.
Autonomy: making decisions and taking responsibility for these decisions? The most stressful thing in life.
Autonomy: the choice to say 'no' to one's decision? Something that we always have, only the results vary depending on the circumstances and will not always make us happy.
Autonomy: financial and physical ability to own and do what we want? Something that we have little influence on.
Apart of that, aren't autonomy and sensitive relatedness mutually... (read more)

Reply
0MartinB
A lot to unpack here! Three statements catch my eye: Autonomy in the SDT-sense is not defined by whether we're making decisions, nor whether we can own what we want. To make it as specific I can, it's scoring high on the BPNSFS which contains the following items on autonomy: * I feel a sense of choice and freedom in the things I undertake * I feel that my decisions reflect what I really want. * I feel my choices express who I really am. * I feel I have been doing what really interests me * Most of the things I do feel like “I have to”. (R) * I feel forced to do many things I wouldn’t choose to do (R) * I feel pressured to do too many things. (R) * My daily activities feel like a chain of obligations. (R) Where (R) items are reverse scored. As you can see, every item contains "feel". Autonomy is about whether you feel like you can do what you want to do. Having the ability to give up autonomy and take it back at will is, in itself, incredibly autonomous! It also satisfies relatedness. I highly doubt that stress has an independent effect on happiness, but I find it extremely likely that many of the activities that satisfy competence, relatedness and autonomy to the highest degree are also stressful :-)
What makes a good life? This is my map.
Eadgyth10

Aren't you afraid that happiness as a goal is a recipe for an unhappy life?


Reply
1MartinB
Not when it is based on the above preconditions, no. If happiness was defined as "experience maximum pleasure" then yes, I'd be afraid that I would end up in abject hedonia. But when it is based on things that lead to meaning, as SDT has shown that autonomy + relatedness + competence do, then that is not currently a fear of mine. Does that make sense? Or did I miss your point? :-)